About Us
DAY1 began with a spark of inspiration far from home. In 2005, founders Robert Murray and Ed Ley-Wilson were on a sea kayaking adventure in Southern Patagonia – one of the most remote parts of the planet.
During this time, the two friends gained a newfound perspective on the important role that resilience plays in our lives. And so, this got them thinking – what if we could help young people facing pressures back home in Scotland, to build resilience and set their futures on the right track?
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From that moment on, Robert and Ed set off on a different kind of adventure – to create a charity that would help young people in the Scottish Highlands begin ‘day one’ of a new and positive future. With Corrin Henderson joining the team as Chief Executive in 2006, DAY1 has since teamed up with parents, schools, volunteers, funders, local and national businesses to offer meaningful support and development opportunities for young people, helping them to build life skills and become work ready.
Through 1-2-1 mentoring with trusted adult role models, hands-on training, apprenticeships, and real-world experiences outside traditional school environments, we help young people feel prepared and excited for what comes next in their lives after school.
Our DAY1 team in Inverness is now made up of around 50 incredible staff and volunteers, who are all dedicated to helping every single young person who comes through our programmes. By offering a safe and nurturing environment where young people are free to be themselves, we help them to grow the confidence, resilience and self-worth that they need to reach their full potential.
“In 2005, we set out on a journey to help young people re-engage with society and regenerate some much-needed community glue. We believed then that building long-term relationships between well trained Mentors and young people in need was the way to make a difference. We believed it then and we believe it now, and with a number of ex-DAY1ers stepping forward as Mentors, the fresh generation of community glue we hoped for is happening.”
Ed Ley-Wilson,
Co-Founder of DAY1
Our Purpose:
To inspire and motivate young people to achieve their potential.
Our Mission:
We empower young people to discover their potential, helping them to get work-ready by building confidence, resilience and life skills through the power of 1-2-1 mentoring, real-world experiences and practical skills development.
Our Vision:
To guide every young person towards a positive future, arming them with the skills to succeed in work, training, further education and life.
We Open Minds
By challenging perceptions and encouraging curiosity, not just for the young people we support, but for mentors, volunteers, businesses, the public and ourselves.
We Champion Ambition
Continually seeking new ways to evolve and better our services. We also believe in the boundless potential of every young person and strive to achieve positive outcomes for all who come through our programmes.
We Nurture Growth
By offering a safe and supportive environment for young people, where they can build confidence and resilience with guidance from trusted mentors.
In 2016, we opened our social enterprise business Inverness Kart Raceway to the public.
Inverness Kart Raceway – or IKR for short – is a purpose built, fully modernised indoor go-karting arena, sporting state of the art technology, tracks and timing systems as well as our fully electric fleet of go-karts. Open to the public 7 days a week, IKR provides exhilarating go-kart racing experiences and events for all ages.
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IKR is the only indoor karting centre in the Scottish Highlands and is also our base for DAY1. It provides a hub for young people to meet, and it is where we run our Foundation Apprenticeship Programme – in fact, many young people who participate in the programme go on to work at the track! Most importantly, 100% of the profits generated from the track are channelled right back into our DAY1 charity, so that we can continue funding our crucial services.
Accredited as a Visit Scotland 5-star centre, Inverness Kart Raceway is being held up as a national exemplar of social impact from social investment in the Third Sector.
You can find out more about Inverness Kart Raceway (or book yourself in for a race!) on the website
